BLACK SOAP

What is Black Soap? Where does it come from?

Black Soap or African Black Soap comes from plantain skin. It is a natural source of vitamins A & E and iron. (Plantain is a popular food in Africa, South America & other parts of the world. It can be found in ethnic or international grocery stores such as Latino, Caribbean or African. It looks like banana but much bigger. It does not taste like a banana & has to be cooked before eating) The skin of the plantain is gingerly dried to a precise texture under the hot African sun. It is then roasted in a clay oven. The heat must be constant in order to achieve a particular color, texture & smell. In some recipes, Cocoa Pod is used instead of plantain skins. Others use both the Cocoa Pod and plantain skins. Cocoa Pod is the shell of the Cocoa fruit. The cocoa beans are used for making chocolate or cocoa butter among other things.

 

I love black soap it is very moisturizing try whipped shea butter for mouisture after your bath or shower and see how beautiful your skin looks and feels, so soft.....parben free ladies and gents

 

PJ-4

TOP 10 FOODS FOR HEALTHY HAIR

I always say your hair is like a plant: You have to water it in order for it to grow. It's not always about what you put on your hair but also what you in your body too.Well in this case, you also have to feed it as well.
So here are the top 10 foods that promotes healthy hair:

 1- Salmon
Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this high-quality protein source is also filled with vitamin B-12 and iron.

2- Dark Green Vegetables
Dark green vegetables provide iron and calcium.

3- Beans
Not only do they provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin.

4- Nuts
Nuts are a great source of zinc

5- Poultry
Chicken have high-quality protein

6- Eggs
Eggs contain biotin and vitamin B-12, which are important beauty nutrients

7- Whole Grains
Whole grains have plenty of zinc, iron, and B vitamins

8- Oysters
Although oysters are known to be an aphrodisiac, they also hair hair-boosting abilities. Oysters provide zinc- a powerful antioxidant.

9- Low-Fat Dairy Products
Theses product have great sources of calcium, an important mineral for hair growth. They also contain whey and casein, two high-quality protein sources.

10- Carrots
Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which promotes a healthy scalp along with good vision.

LATA,
CHAN/ PJ-1

Spotlight on - Ayurveda for hair

Have you ever seen a bald Indian woman? Not matter how young or old, if you look around, Indian women have some of the most beautiful hair. We even go so far as to buy their hair in order to achieve that look! So many of us have been guilty of visiting our local beauty supply store and asking for  "12" inch, Indian Remy in 1B". About a year or so ago, I became interested in Ayurveda principles for hair care after visiting several hair boards and reading about many women's great experiences with Ayurvedic based hair care principles and products. I then went so far as to ask various indian women that I would come into contact with about these products and all of them confessed to using them. 

Ayurvedic Hair Care comes from ingredients and practices that are staples in Ayurveda which is medicial practices that are native to India.

The principles of the Ayurvedic hair care focus on nourishing your hair from the inside first and then the outside.

This is just a brief introduction to some of the oils, powders available. If this has peaked your interest the following are a few websites that give a lot of feedback on the topic.

- Amla - the Indian gooseberry; comes in different forms and is usually found in oils and shampoos. Used for preventing premature greying and preventing what Indians call "hair fall" or hair loss. It is said to strengthen hair at the root.

- Shikaikai - Also known as "fruit for hair" in Ayurveda; it is used a lot in its powder form, made into a paste and used as a natural shampoo because of it's natural cleansing properties. It is also found in oils. It is said to provide an optimal enviroment on the scalp for hair growth due to its astringent and low pH nature.

- Neem - relieves dry, itchy scalp, cure for dandruff, promotes hair growth; usually found in shampoo formulations and oils; known for it's purifying properties to the scalp

- Brahmi - known as a hair rejeuvenator; usually found in oil form

- Bhringaraj - promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss, known as the "king of tresses" in India; usually found in oil form.

- Coconut Oil - Promotes hair growth; one of the oils that has been said to penetrate the hair shaft. used as an oil base for many of the above items in powder form.

- Henna - (*see previous posts from several members)

All of these products can be found in your local indian store as well as various online websites.

I have to say that I have tried all of these oils and have had some success with them as far as helping with my hair not to shed but I have to be honest in saying that I haven't used them long enough to see any long term results however I do believe in Ayurvedic hair care and I do believe that it can promote hair growth. I've never kept up with an Ayurvedic regimen because it can be time consuming. I do like to use the oils for occasional scalp massages the night before I wash my hair.

I recently purchased an oil based hair serum with Ayurvedic oils that I have found to be vitually weightless.

One of my previous hair idols who converted to using primarily all Ayurvedic products on her hair is a woman in the picture below, she used to post on a blog but sadly stopped a while ago but the pictures have stuck with me to this day! (I couldn't find the before picture to give the full effect).


There is a wealth of information out there on the topic which can be found by just Googling!

A few hair care websites out there geared to "us" but based on Ayurveda are:
http://hairveda.com/default.aspx (*if I had to recommend one product from this site it is the Cocasta Shikakai hair oil - it's the truth", great for scalp massages).
http://www.afroveda.com/Default.asp
http://www.qhemetbiologics.com/

SPECIAL ON HAIR PRODUCT

STYLE UPDATE

Hey all,

 I rewashed (cowashed) my hair yesterday only after 4 days to see if any of my curls came back yet, and I'm sad to report they DIDN'T..... :-(
I tried a different way to set my hair. I used the Cantu Shea butter leave in conditioning repair cream and braided 9 big individual braids (not cornrows) and rolled the ends with rollers and let it air dry. Don't really like the results... A little dry looking and too tight for me....

(Again, quality of picture looks horrible)

LATA,
CHAN, PJ1

Tired? A cup of hot tea will perk you up, boost brain power

CUP THAT MATTERS

London: Feeling exhausted? Just sip a cup of hot tea, for a study has claimed that drinking the beverage not only gives human brain a lift, but also reduces tiredness.
    Tea drinking has already been linked with lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer and Parkinson's. Other research has shown that drinking tea on a regular basis for ten or more years may help improve bone density.
    Now, Dutch researchers have carried out the study and found that it's the natural ingredients in tea which improve brain power and increase alertness, the latest edition of the 'Nutritional Neuroscience' journal reported.
    For the study, the researchers looked at the effect of key chemicals found in tea on the mental performance of 44 young volunteers.
    The effects of these ingredients, an amino acid called L-theanine — which is also found in green tea — and caffeine at levels typically found in a cup of tea, were compared with a dummy treatment.
    The active ingredients significantly improved accuracy across a number of switching tasks for those who drank the tea after 20 and 70 minutes, compared with the placebo. The tea drinkers' alertness was also heightened, the study found.
    Tea was also found to reduced tiredness among the subjects, who were aged under 40, say the researchers. "The results suggest the combination helps to focus attention during a demanding cognitive task," they were quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying.
    Dr Tim Bond, of the industry-backed Tea Advisory Panel, said the latest findings backed a previous study which showed drinking two cups of black tea "improves the ability to react to stimuli and to focus attention on the task in hand". PTI

10 TIPS TO HEALTHY HAIR

HELLO ALL,

Here is a quick list of tips that I came up with to help you achieve healthy/healthier hair. I'm quite sure you've heard of some of these tips at one point or another. These came right to me first due to trial an error. It never hurts to refresh our brains so here's a refresher:

1. DETANGLING- DETANGLE YOUR HAIR FROM ROOTS TO ENDS IN SMALL SECTIONS.    THIS CUTS DOWN ON BREAKAGE/DAMAGE

2. AVOID HAIR PRODUCTS WITH ALCOHOL...ALCOHOL DRIES OUT YOUR HAIR

3. TREAT YOUR ENDS WITH EXTRA CARE, THEY ARE THE OLDEST PART OF YOUR HAIR SO THEY REQUIRES SPECIAL ATTENTION

4. AVOID ALOT OF PULLING AND TUGGING...THIS CUTS DOWN ON RETAINING LENGTH

5.  USE A COTTON T SHIRT TO DRY HAIR INSTEAD OF A TOWEL. A TOWEL DRIES HAIR TOO MUCH

6. COMB YOUR HAIR IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS (FRONT TOWARDS FACE, SIDES DOWN TO THE SIDE, BACK TOWARDS NECK, MIDDLE UP TOWARDS CEILING THEN LAY IN THE DIRECTION YOU WANT)...COMBING HAIR ALL BACK EVENTUALLY CAUSES EDGES TO THIN

7. SLEEP WITH SOMETHING TO PROTECT YOUR HAIR...(SCARF, BONNET, SATIN PILLOW CASE)

8. AVOID HEAT AND MANIPULATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE...YOU ARE FLIRTING WITH DEATH IF YOU ARE TRYING TO RETAIN LENGTH AND HEALTHY HAIR

9. CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION!!!

10.  EXPERIMENT...LEARN YOUR HAIR AND FIND OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR TIPS WITH  US....
LATA, CHAN
PJ1

HENNA UPDATE AND PRODUCT REVIEW

Hey all,
So do you want the good or bad news first? LOL

Ok, here's the bad. So, I gave myself a henna treatment for the 4th or 5th time yesterday. Now prior to purchasing henna I'd read up on henna via websites and blogs that one of the effects it has is that henna will loosen your curl. Well yesterday did it for me! After letting the henna sit in my hair overnight, I washed my hair out and noticed I barely had any curls left. I was upset to say the least.......Now I did notice a looser pattern the 3rd or 4th time after treating my hair but it was nothing to talk about. I've literally lost about 70% of my curls. I'm not sure what's in this stuff but I'm staying away for a while. I've been giving myself henna treatments about every 2-3 weeks now. Although I am satisfied with how soft, heavy, and healthy my hair feels, I'm so not with the side effect of loosening my curls to this extreme. My hair looks like I put a texturizer in it....Ugh! So, based on my experience, if you don't want this to happen to you I would either:
A) Not treat as often and/or
B) Only leave in for a few hours


Now on to the good....My new found conditioner....TRADER JOE'S HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!!! This conditioner is the bomb for many reasons:
1) It's all natural
2) It has a nice slip (the consistency)
3) It detangles my hair
4) It smells good
5) It's $2.99
6) It's 2.99
7)It's $2.99 :-)
Enriched with Organic Botanicals. Balanced Hair Remoisturizer Ideal for Replenishing Dry, Brittle Hair. Adds Moisture and Manageability. Cruelty Free (Never Tested on Animals) - No Animal Products in Ingredients. Does Not Contain Harmful Laurel/Laureth Sulfates, Found in Most Personal Care Product Shampoos, Gels, Conditioners and Body Washes.

Where are you getting all of that for $2.99



The pics I'm posting are the results of my henna treatment  and the conditioner. I set my hair with coconut oil and a little Isoplus lock and twist creme for natural hair....(They are on the dark side but hopefully you can still see it.)

LATA,

 CHAN, PJ1

AFROS

Definitions of afros:

Afros have been around for decades. Back in the day, afros came with instructions. It seemed like you had to do so much to get them perfect. Depending on your hair type, some would have to pick them out and stand in the shower so the steam can 'form' it...some can simply just pick them into place....others had to braid the hair first to set it then unbraided and comb...the list goes on and one...The biggest thing that stood out that I heard my family talk about was THE BIGGER THE BETTER. If you had the biggest afro, you were the man (or girl)

The thing I love about the modern day afros  is there are NO instructions....It is what it is...It does not have to be perfect....You can wake up, shake your head and go....wash and go, untwist and go, finger comb and go, ect....It seems like the objective is for you hair to look a mess. The messier the better....Actually, picking/ combing/manipulating the hair messes the look up, which is the complete opposite from back in the day. It doesn't matter how big or small, afros are on fire right now.

MICHAEL JACKSON 70's LOOK

OLD SCHOOL AFRO

OLD SCHOOL AND TODAY'S AFRO

MODERN CURLY AFRO

MODERN AFRO

WHAT IN THE WORLD???LOL

NEW ERA AFRO

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH!!!

LATA, CHAN/PJ1

THE BANDING METHOD

Just wanted to do a quick post on the 'banding' method.
If your hair is natural you have definitely experienced hair shrinkage when washing or wearing natural styles. The tighter your curl is, the more shrinkage you'll hair, the looser your curl/wave, the less shrinkage you'll have.  My hair for example is between a 4a/4b (although I do not follow this chart). The difference in my hair length when wet vs dried and straightened is about 6 inches....big difference.
Instead of manipulating your hair all the time by blow drying and/or straightening, here is a method you can try to obtain some length and cut down on shrinkage....Banding.

Complete the following steps for banding:
- shampoo & conditon hair (or cowash)
- apply your choice of leave in conditioner
- section hair off into 2 sections (4 if your hair is thick or short)
- apply mositurizer of your choice from root to ends
- section off a section of the section you're working on first
- smooth the section out as best as you can and apply and ouchless ponytail holder to the root of your hair ** DO NOT USE REGULAR RUBBERBANDS ON YOUR HAIR**
- continue applying the ponytail holders down to the ends of you hair
(if your hair is thick, you may want to do smaller sections. If you hair is short, you may want to also do smaller sections. Use your judgement)
- Repeat last 2 steps until your whole head is done
- air dry  and style

This method is simply stretching your hair while wet....Just another way to cut down on heat and to keep hair a little healthier.  It can also be done on dry hair as well. Enjoy.

LATA, CHAN-PJ1